Gerard Moreno and Pablo Piatti on target as Espanyol edge Celta Vigo

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:41 am

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Espanyol moved out of La Liga's bottom three after Gerard Moreno and Pablo Piatti struck to see off visiting Celta Vigo 2-1.

Quique Sanchez Flores' side had taken just one point from their first three matches and were hammered 5-0 at Barcelona in their last outing.

But -- despite conceding the lion's share of possession throughout at the RCDE Stadium -- they fashioned a pair of fine goals on the counter-attack to leapfrog their opponents.

Moreno hit the first after nine minutes, Leo Baptistao racing towards the penalty area before laying the ball off on the edge of the box.

Moreno ignored his team-mate's onward run, spun away from a handful of black shirts and lashed home with a low shot from 18 yards.

It was 2-0 in the 23rd minute, Celta's high line costing them as Jose Manuel Jurado took his chance to surge forward into space.

With a three-on-two opening up for the attacking side he played in Piatti, who hit a sweet left-footed shot and finished first time into the bottom corner.

The visitors pulled one back in the 69th minute as Andreu Fontas headed home Pione Sisto's cross, but there would be no equaliser.